Around 23% of MY2020 Tesla Model 3s failed a compulsory safety test last year.
Vehicle inspectors logged 1,392 defects – triple the number found on other EVs.
Problems with lights, braking, steering and suspension were commonly found.
Electric cars contain fewer moving parts than combustion cars so, theoretically, should be less likely to go wrong, but Tesla’s Model 3 seems to be turning that logic on its head. That’s because close to one in every four examples of the electric sedan failed safety tests in Denmark last year.
MY2020 Model 3s became old enough to require an inspection by the Danish Road Traffic Authority in 2024, and of the 4,668 examples tested, 1,051 failed. That’s a 23 percent failure rate and compares badly with a 9 percent rate witnessed in rival EVs, the Federation of Danish Motorists (FDM) reports.
Inspectors logged 1,392 defects on the Teslas, three times as many as they discovered on other EVs. Frequently noted problems concern the lights, braking, steering and suspension. Testers at Germany’s TÜV carrying out similar safety checks uncovered the same kind of issues with Model 3s sold in their market. In both 2023 and 2024, the Model 3 ranked last in the TÜV reliability study.
Will Newer Model 3 Highlands Be Any Better?
The new Danish data only covers MY2020 Model 3s, but FDM’s Lone Otto predicts owners of newer models are in line for some of the same pain.
“We have no reason to believe that younger generations of the Tesla Model 3 will differ significantly from the 2020 generation when it comes to defects and the failure rate,” the technical advisory team’s manager said. “It will be more exciting to see how the Tesla Model Y fares.”
The Model Y has been a big seller in Denmark topping the nation’s list of most popular EVs, which means they’ll make up a big proportion of the cars on the test ramps during 2025. In total, 62,000 electric cars will be subjected to the test, and 45,000 of them will get the treatment for the first time, illustrating just how rapidly the EV market grew between 2020 and 2021.
Last month in the US, Tesla was forced to recall 380,000 cars after some Model 3 and Model Y owners reported losing steering assistance. The automaker sent out an an over-the-air (OTA) update to address the problem.
ID. Every1 Concept trails VW’s entry into the booming €20k EV market.
The subcompact EV has a single 94 hp motor and an 82mph top speed.
Production model arrives in 2027, a year after the bigger, €25k ID.2.
Europe’s affordable EV market is hotting up. Stellantis’s Fiat and Citroen brands have already laid their cards on the table and this week we’ve got our first look at Volkswagen’s response. The ID. Every1 is officially a concept, but most of what you see here you’ll find on the production version in 2027.
Predicted to cost around €20,000 (£17k / $21k) when it hits dealers in two years, the Every1 goes on sale one year after the €25,000 (£21k / $26k) production take on 2023’s ID. 2all concept. But while the 2all’s size puts it between the current Golf and recently axed Polo, the Every1 is sized between the Polo and the Up!, which also got the chop not long ago.
The Every1 occupies 3,880 mm (152.8 inches) of road space, compared with 3,600 mm (141.7 inches) for the Up! and 4,074 mm (160.4) for the Polo. VW promises interior space will match the Polo’s and the 305-liter luggage space splits the difference between what those two deceased combustion cars could deliver.
One of the secrets of the baby EV’s space efficiency is VW’s new MEB front-wheel-drive platform (current single-motor MEB ID cars are all RWD). A small electric motor in the nose generates 94 hp (95 PS / 70 kW), and while VW doesn’t quote a zero to 62 mph (100 kmh) time, it’s sure to be less lethargic than the electronically limited 82 mph (130 km/h) top speed suggests.
We’re still in the dark on battery size, but it’s got to be less than 40 kWh going by the claimed 155-mile (250 km) range. That doesn’t sound like much, but it’s probably ample for most buyers given the Every1’s city-living remit, and is a key reason VW is able to bring the price down to little more than half that of the cheapest ID.3.
Strong design and classic cues
The FWD platform and price aren’t the only ways this new ID car – and the ID. 2all and its crossover spin-off also on the way – is moving away from a template laid down by cars like the ID.3 and ID.4. The front-drivers will usher in a new, more robust, more confident design language that makes even the most affordable member of the EV family look solid and expensive.
Okay, so the Lone Ranger eye mask looks conspicuously like the one on the front of the new Ford Capri (which is an ID.5 offshoot) or Suzuki’s aging Ignis, but it works far better here, fitting in perfectly with the smooth surfaces and squat stance. VW points out the straight window line, an early Golf design signature, and a refusal to get bogged down in current styling trends that could appear embarrassingly dated a few years down the road.
The black glass rear hatch tips a hat to the Up! but where that car looked awkwardly narrow, tall, and slab-sided, the Every1 looks wide and muscular, the swollen fenders over 19-inch wheels and chiseled skateboard-shaped recess in the rear bumper making the whole car seem more grown up.
Dashboards and buttons are back
The same goes for the interior, which we really hope transfers directly to the street. Again, design tricks – in this case the simple, long, flat dashboard shape – create an impression of width, and it’s interesting to see that after several years of freestanding mini-tablet gauge packs on its EVs, VW has recessed the instrument display in the main dash. Anyone else thinking 1991 Honda Prelude, or is it just me?
A chunky, squircle-shaped steering wheel features plenty of physical buttons and there are more buttons on the central section of the dashboard for the volume, cabin temperature, and seat heating. Perhaps surprisingly, though, there’s no sign of the rotary console dial seen on the ID. 2all and since productionized on the Euro Tiguan and Passat.
Most of the controls though, are housed inside the large tablet touchscreen, which will debut VW’s new software system, allowing owners to activate additional equipment months after the car has left the factory.
Minivan-style configurability
Other new features include a utility rail on the passenger side of the dashboard that lets passengers attach a tablet or even a table. And that sci-fi-looking console between the two seats can be slid backwards and forwards, and has extendable shelves, while VW suggests the front passenger- and rear seats can be folded in various ways to maximize practicality. Even if not all of these features make it to production, it’s clear that VW wants the ID.1 (or whatever name Wolfsburg settles on) to be more than just another straight-shootin’ electric hatch.
We’re still two years out from being able to buy the ID. Every1 but there’ll be plenty of new-generation ID activity to look forward to before then. VW says we’ll get another preview of its ‘Electric Urban Car Family’ in fall 2025, and it won’t be the only Group brand teasing future electric subcompacts built on this platform in the next 12 months.
Volvo has unveiled its ES90 midsize electric liftback sedan.
Top versions get 671 hp and can reach 62 mph in 4 seconds.
The bigger 102 kWh available battery can cover 435 miles.
Volvo is best known for its SUVs these days, but this week it revealed the ES90, showing that its electric tech can works just as well, and look even more stylish, in a traditional midsize sedan.
Designed to take on the BMW i5 and Mercedes EQE among other options, the 5m-long (196.9 inches) ES90 arguably looks far better than both, with a strong chin, clean surfaces and a sporty fastback shape. Though it presents as a sedan, it has a practical liftback – but comes up short on trunk space next to the BMW.
Where it shouldn’t come up short is in interior room, particularly for those in the back. The 3.1 mm (122.1 inches) wheelbase is more than 100 mm (4 inches) longer than the BMW’s, and the Volvo also wins the range war.
While the leggiest i5 can only return 356 miles (573 km) on a full charge of its 81 kWh battery, the rangiest ES90’s 102 kWh power pack can take it 435 miles (700 km) in one go. Dual-motor versions get the larger battery and single-motor models make do with a smaller 88 kWh unit that can still deliver 404 miles (650 km) before needing a top-up.
Charging? No Problem
Unlike the EX90 SUV, the ES90 has 800-volt electrics, can handle 350 kW inputs (the i5 only takes 250 kW) and add 186 miles (300 km) of range in 10 minutes. A small frunk provides space for cable storage, again something the i5 doesn’t offer.
The lineup start with the 328 hp (333 PS / 245 kW) Single Motor Extended Range, which costs £69,650 in the UK and can reach 62 mph (100 kmh) in 6.9 seconds. A 443 hp (449 PS / 330 kW) Twin Motor drops the 62 time to 5.5 seconds for £83,250, but for only £4,600 more the the flagship Twin Motor Performance provides 671 hp (680 PS / 500 kW) and does the run in 4.0 seconds flat. All three are limited to 112 mph (180 kmh).
A High-Tech Cabin
Inside, the ES90 features a 9.0-inch digital instrument tablet, a large 14.5-inch portrait touchscreen with built-in Google tech and light-colored Scandi decor and materials to maximize the sense of space. The sedans come equipped with Lidar for autonomous semi-driving prominently mounted above the windshield, but it won’t be functional until later in the model’s life.
Alpine has released images showing its A390 testing near the Arctic.
First interior picture reveals same steering wheel as A290 hot hatch.
The Porsche Macan Electric rival makes its global debut on May 27.
Bouyed by a Car of the Year win for its A290 hot hatch, Alpine is building up a buzz about the next car in its reinvention plan. The Renault performance division just dropped a load of images of the A390 crossover undergoing winter tests ahead of a May 27 reveal.
Our own scoop photographers have snapped disguised A390 prototypes before, but never in such detail. These official shots give us up-close views of the aero bridge at the front end, showing how air is drawn in between the horizontal light bar and Alpine lettering and spat out across the sunken hood.
They also show the spine running across the hood and roof, the LED taillight design, the small trunk lip spoiler and give us our first glimpse of the A390’s cockpit. The single interior image reveal a chunky flat-bottom, leather-wrapped steering wheel that appears identical to the one on the little A290, which takes inspiration from Alpine’s F1 car.
In addition to the usual spoke buttons for cruise control, volume and voice control functions it features three switches designed to help you tailor the driving experience. A red button marked OV for ‘overtake’ on top of the right spoke and activated with a thumb press operates the power boost function (though on the A290 you can also get the same response by kicking the throttle past the detent).
There’s a five-setting Drive mode button slung underneath the same spoke and, below the opposite one, a rotary dial to tweak the amount of regenerative braking. Just visible in the footwell in the background is a pair of sporty metal pedals, but annoyingly we can’t make out the shape of the dashboard or see the screens or seats.
These pictures also give us our first look at the the torque-vectoring capabilities of the A390’s triple-motor setup, many of the shots showcasing the crossover’s oversteering capabilities, which bodes well for its chances of giving the Porsche Macan Electric a run for its money.
Dimensions released by Alpine tell us that the 4,615 mm (181.7 inches) long A390 is a little shorter, narrower and lower than the more SUV-shaped Macan, but the Alpine claims it will offer room for five passengers.
Mercedes’s AMG’s all-electric SUV flagship has been spied during winter tests.
The EV will battle the Lotus Eletre, Porsche K1 and Bentley’s upcoming crossover.
Under the skin is an AMG.EA platform that’ll also form the base for the next 4dr GT.
Slower than expected EV sales have forced both Porsche and Mercedes to renew their commitment to combustion powertrains, but that strategy shift won’t prevent the two companies delivering a couple of new electric flagships. And our spy photo team has just snapped AMG’s contender taking part in winter tests ahead of next year’s debut.
AMG released a ‘spy’ shot of its own and a brief video last December, both taken at the company’s test track. But this latest set of images show the electric super-SUV testing for real in northern Europe and give us a better chance to see the EV from multiple angles.
Like Ferrari’s V12-powered Purosangue, the unnamed electric AMG is more of a crossover than an SUV. It has a relatively low roofline, modest ground clearance, narrow glasshouse and a sporty rake to its rear window. Unlike the AMG-badged GLS63, the most expensive SUV in the company’s current lineup, the EV should only have room for two rows of seats.
Every one of the AMG SUVs you can buy today is a pumped-up version of a regular Mercedes product, but this one will be unique to AMG and was developed in-house at Affalterbach. It should measure around 5.1 meters (200 inches) in length, and offer plenty of room thanks to a circa-3 m (118 inches) wheelbase.
This prototype has placeholder lights at the rear and the fronts are shielded by camouflage but still give us a glimpse of the star motif DRLs below. It’s possible that rather than being built into a traditional cluster the individual light elements could be set directly into the bodywork, as seen on 2022’s Mercedes Vision AMG concept.
That concept previewed a Porsche Taycan-rivalling successor to the four-door AMG GT which will be built on the same AMG.EA platform as the SUV and share battery and motor tech. Fast charging courtesy of 800-volt electrics means fill-ups will be brief, as will zero to 60 mph (97 kmh) runs if the rumours of more than 1,000 hp (1,014 PS / 746 kW) are true. And we’re sure they are.
Mercedes-AMG could debut the SUV in 2026 with sales starting in 2027, which would potentially put it on the street fractionally ahead of its Porsche K1 rival.
China’s MG has released two teaser images of its new MGS5 EV.
The SUV uses the modular scalable platform (MSP) from the MG4.
Debuting in the coming weeks, it should up MG’s cabin quality game.
MG is twisting the thumbscrews on Europe’s carmakers again. The British-badged, Chinese-owned company has teased its latest model, an electric SUV called the MGS5 EV that debuts this spring, and it’s not good news for the likes of VW and Stellantis.
The replacement for the MGZS EV uses the same modular scalable platform (MSP) as the MG4 hatch, a car that’s been met with rave reviews and is racking up huge sales in countries like the UK thanks to its temptingly low price. And at around 4,480 mm (176.5 inches) long, the new SUV is a significant 162 mm (6.4 inches) longer than the outgoing ZS EV.
MG released the Chinese version of this model, the ES5, in its home market last October, so we already know far more about than could be gleaned from looking at the two teaser images and scant details published as part of this week’s European teaser campaign.
Two darkened images (which we’ve lightened) have been released, one showing the new utility from the back where we can see a fat transverse LED light bar containing an illuminated MG logo that blends into a pair of taillights that wrap around the rear quarter panels.
The rear hatch door has a spoiler at the top and appears to have a tiny sedan-style notchback lip above the light bar with an integral molded spoiler. A second image showing the rear part of the car from the side reveals that the taillights form a Y shape and the door handles are the traditional pull kind, rather than the fashionable flush type.
And maybe it’s just us, but those alloy wheels look like they’re taking design cues from the classic Rostyle rims fitted to MGBs and Midgets in the 1970s. We’ve dropped the images of the Chinese ES5 in the gallery at the bottom of the page to give you a better idea of what to expect when the new EV debuts in Europe in the coming weeks.
MG didn’t release any spec numbers for the MGS5 EV this week, but for some context the MG4 range kicks off with a 168 hp (170 PS / 125 kW) single-motor powertrain driving the front wheels. That’s the same kit MG confirmed for the ES5 in China last fall. In Europe the MG4 is also available with a single 201 hp (204 PS / 150 kW) motor or in dual-motor, all-wheel drive XPower form with 429 hp (435 PS / 320 kW), and we’d expect MG to also one or both of those options in the SUV in the West.
If the MG4 falls down in any one area, it’s the interior, whose cabin design and materials, as well as its infotainment, still lag behind most European, Japanese and Korean rivals. But the automaker says the MGS5 EV will feature a ‘premium’ cabin, while still offering MG value. Given that the smaller ZS EV this model replaces starts at £30,495, we’d expect the MGS5 EV to start at around £32-34k.
Mercedes is testing new prototypes of the electric GLC that debuts in 2026.
Unlike earlier test cars, this one has no thick disguise on the hood and doors.
The 2027 GLC rides on the MB.EA platform and should handle 320 kW chargers.
Mercedes is getting ready to unleash an army of new cars over the next couple of years, including 17 EVs, and one of the most important is this, the all-new GLC EV. The compact electric SUV is due to launch in 2026, where it will engage in a showroom showdown with BMW’s Neue Klasse iX3, and spy photographers have just spotted it wearing very little camouflage for the first time.
Earlier prototypes of the replacement for today’s EQC featured a brain-scrambling black and white camo wrap under which were hidden various artificial lumps and bumps designed to make it hard for us to imagine how the finished SUV will look.
But these latest images show a more production-ready prototype with none of the disguise blocks on the doors and hood, and a stylish, calming camouflage pattern that looks like wind or running water. Strangely, it also manages to make the front end look a bit like an Acura’s. As our spy photographer says, the SUV seems to be dressed for some teaser photos to be taken, so maybe Mercedes is getting ready to start drip-feeding content like it has with the CLA.
We still can’t see the shape of the window line at the C-pillar, but this new dressed-down test car displays smooth sides, pronounced hips and what appears to be a large traditional-style Mercedes grille that rises above the line of the headlights and creates a bulge in the hood. It looks like Gordon Wagoner and the design team have been looking at Benz’s 1960s sedans and coupes for inspiration.
The brand’s new star-shaped DRLs are evident at the front, and though they’re not illuminated at the back, we’re sure they’ll make an appearance there, too, as they will on the 19 new or facelifted combustion Mercedes cars debuting by 2027.
Unlike models like the revised petrol-power GLE, however, the EQC replacement rides on a very different platform, the new MB.EA architecture. The upcoming electric C-class sedan gets the same gear, but the smaller CLA that debuts this year uses the MMA platform instead.
We’re still expecting commonalities between the two, however, including 800-volt electrics and the ability to handle 320 kW charging, meaning a 10-80 percent fill will take less than 18 minutes. The most efficient models should also be capable of traveling well over 400 miles (644 km) before needing to find one of those chargers.
Xiaomi has left Porsche reeling by pricing its new SU7 Ultra at ¥529,000 ($72,800).
When pre-orders opened last October, Xiaomi said it would cost ¥814,900 ($112,000)
The Ultra recently beat the 400% pricer Taycan Turbo GT’s Shanghai circuit laptime.
Spring is approaching and the weather in Stuttgart should be getting milder. But today the temperature in the Porsche HQ must have dropped about 10 degrees when Xiaomi revealed it is pricing its SU7 Ultra sedan more than 35 percent lower than previously suggested.
At the initial launch of the range-topping Ultra last October, Xiaomi said the EV would cost ¥814,900 ($112,000), matching the current price of the similarly-sized Tesla Model S Plaid. That was already bad news for Porsche, whose rivaling Taycan Turbo GT is ¥1,998,000 / $274,871 (it’s $230k in the US).
But now at the car’s proper debut, the Chinese smartphone company-turned-automaker says the 1,527 hp four-door coupe will only set its customers back ¥529,000 ($72,800). That makes the Ultra around one quarter the price of the Taycan, which develops less power and was slower around the Shanghai International Circuit.
The triple-motor Ultra gets a single 386 hp (392 PS / 288 kW) power unit in the nose and a pair of 570 hp (578 PS / 425 kW) motors at the back. Total output is 1,526 hp (1,547 PS / 1,138 kW) and torque peaks at 1,306 lb-ft (1,770 Nm). That compares with 1,019 hp (1,034 PS / 760 kW) for the Taycan Turbo GT and Model S Plaid.
Beats Porsche on the track
Earlier this month Xiaomi said the Ultra had lapped the Shanghai International Circuit in 2:09.94, beating the Taycan’s time by almost 1.5 seconds. The Chinese car stormed to 201 mph (323 kmh) on the back straight, and is claimed to reach 62 mph (100 kmh) from rest in 1.98 seconds versus 2.1 seconds for the Porsche. Xiaomi says when not hot-lapping, the Ultra has a range of 392 miles (630 km), though that’s measured using China’s glass-half-full CLTC system.
An active rear diffuser, fixed carbon fiber rear spoiler and other aero aids create 285 kg (628 lbs) of downforce, but despite an available carbon fiber roof that comes with the optional “Racing Package” the Ultra still weighs close to 2,500 kg (5,511 lbs).
To help deal with that weight the chassis features torque vectoring, dual-chamber air springs and carbon brakes, while other goodies in the Racing Package include Bilstein EVO R coilover shocks, upgraded brake pads, Pirelli P Zero tires, a spare set of P Zero Trofeo RS track boots, forged 21-inch wheels and carbon rear wheel arch trims.
Low price, high demand
For $73k customers are getting an awful lot of car for the money. Even the hood badge is made from carbon fibre and 24 carat gold. Let’s hope it’s well glued down. And let’s hope for the sake of Porsche’s sales the Ultra isn’t exported to other markets because within 10 minutes of the Ultra’s debut almost 7,000 people had put down deposits.
The SU7 wasn’t the only Ultra product Xiaomi brand fans were talking about today. The company also launched a new smartphone, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra, boss Lei Jun claiming the two Ultras were part of its move into high-end products.
Images have appeared showing a Tesla Model 3 crushed by a semi truck.
The most shocking aspect is that the Tesla driver wasn’t killed in the accident.
He was so impressed by the Model 3’s strength he’s since bought another Tesla.
We’ve probably all seen those grim Russian dashcam Youtube videos and smartphone clips from India where a car is plowed into or crushed by a truck and you just know that no one in the car made it out alive. The images of a flattened Model 3 on this page look like the aftermath of one of those tragedies, except that, incredibly, the Tesla driver survived.
Two pictures show the white pre-facelift Model 3 wedged under a semi-trailer that’s rolled over on top of the EV. The entire passenger compartment right up to the trunk appears to have been crushed down to window level or lower.
And shots taken of the Tesla once the truck had been lifted off it are no less breathtaking. The car is completely destroyed, its windshield now angled about 15 degrees from horizontal and what’s left of the also-shattered glass roof lying about a foot (300 mm) lower than it where it was once located.
Luckily for the driver, his portion of the cabin somehow managed to fare better than the rest of the car, presumably because it was struck by less weight. The driver reportedly escaped the crash with only cuts and bruises, but looking at the wreckage we can say it’s fortunate that he wasn’t carrying passengers. They’d probably all have died.
Photos u/MensurMVisuals
Writing on X a business associate of the Tesla driver, @MensurMVisuals, said the Model 3 was cruising on the highway when a truck next to him lost control and flipped on top of the EV. The X poster said the Tesla driver was so impressed with the Model 3’s strength that he picked up a brand-new Tesla three weeks later.
Comments on X and Reddit, where it also appeared, seem to be split between those who think the Tesla’s exceptional strength saved the day, in a way no other brand of car would have done, and those who think the driver just got lucky, simple as that. What do you think? Drop a comment underneath this post and let us know.
I had a customer come in and tell me this story about how they walked away with only scratches from an accident that was involved with him and his Model 3. The customer was driving on the highway when a truck next to him lost control and completely crushed his Model 3. The… pic.twitter.com/YyzHqJPFhY
Kia has unveiled the $35k/£31k EV4 sedan and hatch at its Kia Day event.
Launch models get a 201 hp motor and 58.3 kWh or 81.4 kWh batteries.
The EVs made their debut alongside the smaller EV2 concept and PV5 vans.
A recent facelift wasn’t enough to stop Model 3 sales sliding in 2024 and today Kia debuted something bound to make Tesla’s pain even worse. It’s the EV4, which goes on sale later this year for around $35k / £31k.
The Korean automaker unveiled its new compact EV at the Kia Day event in Spain this week alongside the little EV2 SUV concept and the PV5 van, and although Kia had previously revealed exterior images of the EV4, this was our first chance to find out exactly what was going on under the skin.
Or maybe that should be skins, because Kia is building the EV4 in both fastback sedan and hatchback body styles on the same 2,820 mm (111 inches) wheelbase. Europe will take both versions, but only the sedan will be offered in the US.
One Motor, One Power Level
The powertrain spec closely follows the template laid down by the EV3 last year. That means slower-charging (but cheaper to build) 400-volt electrics instead of the 800-volt type fitted to the EV6 and EV9, and just one available motor, a single 201 hp (204 PS / 150 kW) unit driving the front wheels, at least initially. Dual-motor, all-wheel drive and GT versions will follow.
Go for the smaller 58.3 kWh battery and you’ll go faster, but not as far. Zero to 62 mph (100 km/h) with that configuration takes 7.4 seconds in both the sedan and hatch, though the sedan will travel 267 miles (430 km) on a charge, and the hatch a less useful 255 miles (410 km).
Almost 400 Miles Of Range
Choose the bigger 81.4 kWh battery and the extra weight delays your arrival at 62 mph by 0.3 seconds, but the range gains seem more than worth it. The hatch does 367 miles (590 km) before needing to be plugged in and the sedan can go 391 miles (630 km). Those numbers all relate to cars on the 17-inch wheels. Up the hoop size and you’ll shrink the range.
There’s not much difference in fill-time between the two batteries: 29 minutes for the small one and 31 for the bigger. Nevertheless, both look glacially slow next to the sub-20-minute times EV6 drivers currently enjoy.
Watch Netflix Or Sing Karaoke
Sedan and hatch EV4s get the same 30-inch, triple display dashboard and allow passengers to stream YouTube, Netflix and Disney+, play games and even sing karaoke. The identical wheelbases should ensure they match each other for rear space, but the 4,730-mm (186.2 inches) sedan’s 300 mm (11.8 inches) of extra body length means it wins the cargo war, offering 490 liters (17.3 cu-ft) to the hatch’s 435 liters (15.4 cu-ft).
The EV goes on sale in Korea in March with the Korean-built sedan and Slovakian-produced hatch arriving in European showrooms in the second half of the year. America will get its US-manufactured sedan later in 2025.
Toyota will unveil an all-electric crossover on March 11.
It released a single silhouetted teaser image and video.
The design stays true to the 2022 bZ SUV concept.
Cast your minds back to 2022 and you might recall a fantastically swoopy electric crossover coupe from Toyota called the bZ Compact SUV concept. Well, next month, that concept becomes a production reality and could give the automaker’s EV fortunes a real boost.
Toyota today confirmed it would reveal an “all-new exciting and surprising” BEV on March 11 (March 12 central European time) and released a single teaser image and a video that don’t give an awful lot away, but do reveal enough that we can be sure it’s the 2022 concept come to life.
They show a sleek fastback shape and a set of curvy hips and front fenders. The roofline is low, but the body appears to be hoisted well clear of the ground to deliver the “elevated driving dynamics” Toyota refers to in its limited blurb. The automaker also promises “surprising space, comfort and versatility,” and claims it will have a strong emotional appeal.
Toyota doesn’t mention the crossover’s name, but judging from recent reports, there’s a good chance it won’t be named bZ because even its bZ4X big brother is rumored to be ditching the absurd jumble of numbers and letters for something more sensible later this year.
The teaser also doesn’t tell us much about the new EV’s tech specs, but we can look at the concept’s dimensions to get an idea on size. Back in 2022, Toyota said the bZ Compact SUV measured 4.54 m (178.7 inches) long and 1.56 m (61.4 inches) tall. If the production version sticks to those numbers it’ll come in at 152 mm (6 inches) shorter and 90 mm (3.5 inches) lower than the Toyota bZ4X.
No power figures or battery capacities were given for the concept but Toyota’s new Urban Cruiser electric SUV, which is smaller in size than the new crossover, has a choice of 49 kWh and 61 kWh battery packs.
Single-motor, front-wheel drive versions of the Suzuki e-Vitara clone make 142 hp (106 kW / 144 PS) with the small battery and 172 hp (128 kW / 174 PS) with the bigger one, while the optional dual-motor powertrain boosts total output to 182 hp (135 kW / 184 PS).
The gallery below contains one teaser shot of the new production crossover and multiple images of the 2022 bZ Compact SUV concept.
Almost three quarters of Ioniq 5 buyers are switching to Hyundai from another brand.
The model has a 22 percent better conquest win rate than other Hyundai models.
Cadillac’s Lyriq SUV is also stealing buyers, but the Toyota bZ4X fares less well.
If the sharp design, impressive tech and strong performance of the Ioniq 5 made you see Hyundai in a new light, you’re not alone. New data shows the model has helped the Korean brand pinch thousands of customers away from other automakers.
More than 74 percent of Ioniq 5 sales were conquests from competitor brands, according to figures from S&P Global Mobility analyzing electric vehicle trends between January and October 2024. That puts the Ioniq 5 almost 22 percentage points ahead of the average Hyundai vehicle when it comes to brand conquest rates.
Cadillac’s Lyriq is another EV that’s achieved what none of the GM luxury brand’s other cars have been able to do. Close to 73 percent of Lyriq buyers are jumping to Cadillac from other automakers, that figure being 16 percentage points better than Caddy’s average.
Further down the list, some brand’s models have a lower outright conquest rate than the Lyriq and Ioniq 5, but are worthy of note because they perform so much better than the marques’ other cars.
Take the Mustang Mach-E and Ford F-150 Lightning, for example. Ford’s overall conquest rate is the lowest on the table at less than 37 percent, but the Mach-E and Lightning both achieve at least 21 percentage points more in terms of conquests.
Not all of the EVs in the conquest league table proved more effective than their ICE-powered sister models at luring customers from rival brands. The Porsche Taycan’s 61.2 percent conquest rate looks solid until you realize that number is 0.3 percentage points lower than the average Porsche figure.
And Toyota’s bZ4X puts in an embarrassing performance right at the bottom of the list. Just 33.5 percent of the electric SUV’s buyers were new to the Japanese brand, down 7 percentage points on its 40.5 percent average win rate. The bZ’s Subaru Solterra twin was third from bottom, though it’s 45.3 percent conquest rate was significantly less awful. Both the bZ4X and Solterra offer less power and range than other EVs like the Ioniq 5, and potential buyers appear not to have missed those facts.
Chinese drivers are turning their back on Porsche in favor of domestic products like Xiaomi’s SU7.
They think Porsche’s cars are too expensive and are missing desirable tech gadgets and features.
Porsche sales tanked 28 percent in China in 2024 and Taycan deliveries almost halved in the year.
Chinese smartphone giant turned automaker Xiaomi proudly announced last week that its SU7 Ultra sedan has lapped the Shanghai International Circuit almost 1.5 seconds faster than the previous record holder, the Porsche Taycan Turbo GT. But Porsche’s China crisis goes far beyond ranking second on a racetrack leader board.
For years, Western automakers have relied on China to provide growth and a massive chunk of their revenue. But now local car buyers are increasingly rejecting long-established European brands in favor of domestically-produced, Chinese-branded cars. Porsche is far from the only Western car company taking a hit, but it’s taken a really big one.
Porsche’s China Sales Are in Freefall
Porsche sales in China dropped by a staggering 28 percent during 2024, and deliveries of the once hugely popular Taycan EV dropped by almost half, the automaker revealed last month. True, 2024 was a changeover year for several models, including the Taycan, Panamera (also down) and 911, but the slump has less to do with that and more to do with changing attitudes in China to its own increasingly competent car brands.
In the SU7, for instance, Xiaomi has built an electric sedan that looks almost as good as a Taycan, makes more power and cost a fraction as much. The top-spec Ultra that broke the Shanghai record is priced at the equivalent of $112,000 to the Turbo GT’s $230,000 and makes 1,527 hp (1,139 kW / 1,548 PS) versus 1,092 hp (815 kW / 1,108 PS) for the German car in Launch Control mode.
Other SU7 models offer a similarly appealing bang-to-yen ratio. No wonder Xiaomi sold over 100,000 of them last year and Porsche only shifted 21,000 Taycans.
“I think Chinese consumers right now are ready to accept that Chinese companies can produce cars that are considered as premium to them,” Gary Ng, an economist with Natixis Corporate & Investment Banking, told the New York Times.
But here’s the wild bit: the SU7 is currently only sold in China and that 21,000-unit Taycan sales figure is a global number. Just imagine how much more damage the SU7 could do if it was available elsewhere.
In other markets, of course, Porsche can currently rely on the strength of the brand, one cultivated through decades of racing history and pop culture appearances. That’s less of a draw in China, where Porsche hasn’t been around for 70+ years. Moreover, buyers’ heroes are tech brands, and they want tech features Porsche and Western brands can’t deliver, but Chinese ones can.
Porsche Is Playing Tech Catch-Up
You still can’t buy a Porsche with a Level 3, or fully hands-off Level 2 driver-assist system (though the latter, co-developed with Mobileye, is coming this year), while the Lidar-equipped SU7 comes with a 56-inch head-up display and Xiaomi’s smartphone and AI know-how means drivers get into the car and can transfer their phone interface to the SU7’s media screen with the press of a single button. German, American and even Japanese and Korean brands have all underestimated the importance of software-defined vehicles, one industry expert told the NYT.
In some cases, there are reasons for their reticence. Brands like Porsche and Ferrari have been careful not to jump to provide ADAS systems earlier than other brands because they’re keen to preserve their hard-earned reputations as makers of pure drivers’ cars. You’d never see either brand showing off how its EV could race around a track without a driver, as BYD did with its Yangwang U9 supercar last week.
But Chinese buyers are pragmatic and less obsessed with the classic idea of driving fun. Quit the hand-wringing and just give us the tech, they’re effectively saying by ignoring the Taycan and buying cars with more advanced systems, like the SU7. The fact that buyers are so young – averaging 33 years old in 2021 for the Taycan – suggests they’re potentially more open to switching brands.
Could It Happen In The West?
And how long until even European and American drivers, if given the choice between a Porsche and a Chinese product that does much of the same thing for half the price, start to ignore Porsche cars, too? I love cars like the Macan and Taycan, but let’s not pretend it can’t happen, at least to the four-seat models.
We welcomed newcomers like Tesla and Rivian, seeing them as legitimate rivals to Porsche, so why not Xiaomi? Ford boss Jim Farley has already said he loves driving his SU7 so much he doesn’t want to give it back. US tariffs and some lingering anti-Chinese sentiment provide a hill to climb, but the Chinese will crest it. Look how far Kia has come in 35 years, and then look at how far Xiaomi has come in just a couple with one car.
What would you do to get Porsche back on track in China? And do you believe it’ll eventually have the same problem in Europe and America, or does it have the brand power to stay ahead? Leave a comment below and let us know what you think.
Kia will equip every version of its EV4 crossover with a simulated manual transmission.
Though all versions get the fake shifts, only the sporty GT model has a (fake) rev limiter.
Kia revealed the first EV4 pics last week and will release full tech details on February 27.
Kia’s upcoming EV4 is shaping up to be seriously desirable contender in the affordable EV space, and now we’ve got some exclusive info that makes it even more intriguing. According to a source we spoke with inside knowledge at Kia, every version of the EV4 will come with a simulated manual gearshift – a feature similar to the one found on the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N and the recently updated Kia EV6 GT.
Kia and its parent company, Hyundai, have been experimenting with ways to make EVs more engaging for driving enthusiasts, and it looks like the EV4 will be the latest to benefit from this strategy. The simulated manual gearshift system, which first appeared in the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, allows drivers to “shift” through virtual gears using paddle shifters while the software adjusts power delivery to mimic the behavior of an internal combustion engine.
While this feature was initially positioned as something only for Hyundai-Kia’s most performance-minded cars, Kia has now decided to roll it out across the entire EV4 lineup. That means even base-model buyers will be able to experience simulated gear changes, a move that could be aimed at making EVs more familiar to drivers transitioning from combustion-powered cars.
However, while all EV4s will get the simulated paddle-shift tech, only the high-performance EV4 GT that comes later will take it a step further by incorporating a fake rev limiter for an extra dose of driving engagement. The fake rev limiter will simulate the feeling of hitting redline, requiring drivers to shift “gears” at the right moment to maintain optimal acceleration.
On the Ioniq 5 N, this system is paired with synthetic engine sounds and even simulated torque dips between shifts to enhance the illusion. While it’s not yet clear if the EV4 GT will offer those exact features, it’s likely to follow a similar philosophy, bringing a playful, enthusiast-friendly edge to the model.
We understand the EV5 SUV won’t have the fake manual tech when it goes on sale in Europe and America later this year because it’s an older car and has already been on sale in China for a while. But it’s possible it could inherit the feature as part of a mid-life update in a couple of years.
Kia released exterior images of the EV4 in sedan and hatchback form last week, revealing that the production car due to go on sale later this year has changed very little from the 2023 concept. But it has so far remained tight-lipped about the interior style and tech spec, although we have previously published spy shots showing the dashboard, which again, looks just like the concept’s.
We’ll learn more about the interior and mechanical package of the crossover when it makes its full debut at Kia’s EV Day 2025 in Spain on 27 February alongside the production version of the PV5 van and an EV2 concept.
Rivian has announced a recall of 17,260 of its R1 trucks and SUVs.
2025 models are suffering from inoperative low-beam headlights.
Service centers and mobile techs will fit new headlight control modules.
Rivian’s headlights are among the most distinctive in the business. The trouble is, the lamps on some 2025 examples aren’t fulfilling their primary obligation to help drivers see and be seen. As a result the automaker is recalling more than 17,000 examples of its two R1 models.
The problem lies with the low beam headlights on the R1T truck and R1S SUV, which may fail to wake up when owners attempt to start their EVs in cold weather conditions. One or more of the lights might not illuminate and owners won’t have to wait until they’re flashed by oncoming drivers to know it. The EV will display a message on the screen telling them “Low beam mights not working. Service low beams soon.”
Rivian traced the issue back to incorrectly configured parts supplied during manufacturing and fitted to vehicles produced between April 29, 2024, and February 3, 2025. A total of 17,260 of the company’s electric utilities now need headlamp control modules replaced, which means this is no OTA quick fix, and requires some wrenching by a Rivian technician.
Although the company does have some service centers across North America, it doesn’t have a ton of them compared with legacy automakers like Mercedes or BMW. There were only around 60 at last count, though Rivian is rolling out more every year and hopes to have more than 100 by the end of 2025. And it does have mobile technicians that move about the country dealing with issues for those who can’t get to a fixed service site.
Rivian owners are no strangers to headlight headaches. In June 2024, the company recalled certain R1T and R1S models due to headlight level errors, where the headlamps were aimed slightly too low, potentially leading to insufficient road illumination.
Having lights that don’t work as they should is obviously inconvenient and could be dangerous (though Rivian says it’s received no reports of accidents related to the latest problem). But it’s also illegal, making the vehicle noncompliant with FMVSS 108, the section of US law governing vehicle lamps.
Tesla is recalling 376,241 EVs due to a problem with their steering.
Certain 2023 Model 3s and Ys need an OTA for revised software.
Some owners reported heavier steering when moving from a stop.
Tesla has announced a recall of nearly 380,000 vehicles in the United States due to a power steering assist failure. The problem affects 2023 Model 3 sedans and Model Y crossovers equipped with older software versions. Some owners reported finding their EVs’ steering heavier than usual, but others experience a complete loss of steering control.
The root cause of the problem has been identified as an overvoltage breakdown, which places undue stress on motor drive components within the circuit board. This malfunction can lead to the power steering assist system failing, though the design means drivers will never lose assist when their EV is in motion.
But when the cars reach a standstill the power assist vanishes. It’s still theoretically possible to steer a 3 or Y if this happens, but have you tried to heave a 4,400 lbs (2,000 kg) car around without power steering recently? It’s seriously hard work.
As if the sweat on their brows and the ache in their shoulders, wrists and forearms wasn’t enough to let drivers know their steering had failed, a visual alert appears on the screen with the message “Steering assist reduced. Steering may require increased effort.”
Though the recall has only been announced this month, Tesla has acknowledged over 3,000 warranty claims related to the issue and began an internal investigation almost two years ago in response to customer complaints about high steering effort. The glitch was also the subjects of a formal investigation starting in December 2023 by a non-US market and America’s NHTSA opened its own probe in February 2024. But the automaker states it has received no reports of crashes or injuries associated with the defect.
As with many Tesla quality and safety goofs, this is another software one, which means it’s an easy and inexpensive one to put right. To address the problem, Tesla is rolling out an over-the-air software update for 376,241 EVs.
This recall comes on the heels of a previous one in January 2025, where Tesla recalled approximately 240,000 vehicles due to faulty rear-view cameras. The affected models in that instance included the 2024-2025 Model S, 2023-2025 Model X, 2023-2025 Model Y, and 2024-2025 Model 3. The issue was traced back to a firmware problem that could cause a shorting failure on the car’s computer board, leading to rear-view camera malfunctions.
BMW has released tech details about its Gen6 eDrive EV technology.
800-volt system provides 30% improvements in charging and range.
Gen6 debuts in this year’s Neue Klasse iX3 but Rolls and Mini also get it.
We’ve already got a pretty good idea what BMW’s Neue Klasse cars will look like both inside and out thanks to a couple of previous concepts and a Land of the Giants interior mock-up at this year’s CES in Vegas. But now, BMW is ready to talk tech and give us an idea of what its potentially game-changing models will be like under the skin.
Gen6 eDrive 800v Tech
Taking over from the current Gen5 eDrive technology, Gen6 arrives later this year in the first of the Neue Klasse cars, the iX3. But it will be rolled out to the entire lineup of BMW EVs in time, including M models, and will also find its way into Mini and Rolls Royce cars.
At the heart of the package is 800-volt charging capability and a battery built from cylindrical, rather than than prismatic cells, that are a fifth more energy dense. BMW says Gen6 EVs will charge 30 percent faster and offer an additional 30 percent of range compared with the brand’s current electric cars, with certain models achieving even higher figures.
That range boost can’t come soon enough for some BMW EVs. The new iX2 xDrive30, for instance, has a WLTP rating of less than 285 miles (460 km). And the automaker says certain models will see range gains better than 30 percent. All Gen6 EVs will also be capable of bi-directional charging.
The cells are packed directly into the battery, rather than first being put into modules, and the battery becomes a structural component in the Neue Klasse cars. That helps cut weight and increase strength, and the completed battery packs are also very slim, BMW says, making them suitable for all kinds of cars, not just high-riding SUVs. That bodes well for the chance of BMW delivering some real sports cars in the electric age.
BMW has also revealed it will fit asynchronous motors to the front axle of all-wheel drive xDrive EVs because they are more compact and cheaper to build than the permanent synchronous type.
The Gen6 drive systems have been in pre-production at BMW’s Steyr, Austria, plant since summer 2024, but series production kicks off this September in time for the launch of the iX3 this fall. But to safeguard itself from any future political upheaval the batteries for the Neue Klasse cars will be built in five new production sites in Germany, Hungary, China, Mexico and the US.
Alpine gears up its expansion with the launch of the A390 on May 27.
One teaser image of the crossover was released ahead of the debut.
Production model features a dual-motor powertrain and torque vectoring.
If you’re on the lookout for a new set of family-sized wheels but struggling to find something that really gets you excited, set a Siri reminder for May 27. That’s the date Alpine will pull the covers back on its second EV, the A390, and if it looks anything like the concept that previewed it last year, it’s going to be a doozy.
The four-seat, low-riding crossover (Alpine prefers “sport fastback”) is the second of three electric cars that comprise Alpine’s Dream Garage series, the others being the COTY-winning A290 hot hatch unveiled in 2024 and the new A110 still to come.
Alpine released a single teaser image to go with the launch date confirmation, a silhouetted close-up of the nose revealing the front-end styling, which appears very close to that of the A390_β concept. It shows a transverse light bar with the Alpine name spelled out below, and 12 triangle-shaped DRL LEDs arranged together to form a larger triangle at each corner.
It also looks like showroom cars will retain the “flying bridge” nose seen on the concept in which the section of bodywork containing the light bar is higher than the leading edge of the hood, potentially for aerodynamic effect.
Alpine had previously said that the A390_β concept was 85 percent of the real thing, and our spy shots confirmed the overall silhouette and side window shape would be carried over to the street virtually intact. But a big chunk of the 15 percent of the show car that you won’t find in your Alpine dealer later this year is located in the interior.
The A390_β concept had rear-hinged rear doors, no B-pillar or carpets, and a set of chairs that looked like they’d been lifted out of the company’s Le Mans contender. But the real thing will be considerably sanitized, while still maintaining a clear performance feel. We’re expecting to see plenty of Alcantara, or something similar, and lots of screen space, too.
Under the skin is the Renault Group AmpR Medium architecture, previously known as the CMF-EV platform and used on cars like the Renault Megane E-Tech. If that sounds underwhelming, don’t worry: Alpine says the A390 will feature torque vectoring to maximize agility and could deliver upwards of 600 hp (608 PS / 447 kW) in its most dynamic trim levels.
The A390 should be on sale in Europe late in 2025, but while Alpine is planning to expand to the US with larger crossovers and SUVs, the A290 and A390 won’t be making the trip.
Mercedes will launch almost 40 new models over the next two years.
More than half will be ICE-powered in response to falling EV demand.
Mercedes will cut costs by 10% by 2027, but won’t shut German plants.
Mercedes says it will cut production costs over the next two years while at the same time, it will roll out almost 40 new or heavily revised models in an effort to reverse its fortunes. The automaker expects earnings to take a big hit in 2025 and thinks a renewed focus on traditional combustion power could help stop the slide.
It wasn’t long ago that Mercedes was vowing to go EV-only in major markets by 2030, but terrible sales figures for many of its electric cars has prompted a major rethink. The brand isn’t turning its back on EVs by any means – 17 of the new models it will launch by 2027 will be battery-powered. But 19 of the new cars will have combustion power and live on well into the 2030s.
This time, however, there will be very little design differentiation between ICE and EV models, even in the top-end models that ride on entirely different platforms and unlike smaller cars that will use a common architecture for both electric and combustion powertrains. The egg-shaped EQS has been a sales bomb for Mercedes and having learned from that mistake, future EVs will look like their gas brothers.
New products in showrooms this year include the CLA sedan, which will be available in EV and ICE forms with very similar prices and spawn a family of cars built on the same platform. The new CLA model family will feature many different body styles, including an SUV and wagon. All-electric GLC and C-Class cars are also on the way and Mercedes confirmed it is working on an E-Class EV to rival BMW’s i5.
On the combustion side, the company will soon unveil a facelifted S-Class and says engines with four to eight cylinders will be available across the Mercedes range, equipped to meet Euro 7 emissions standards. And it’s also hanging onto the mighty V12 engine for its flagship sedans.
Earnings at Benz’s car division dropped by 39 percent to €8.7 billion ($9.1 bn) during a tough 2024 and it expects 2025 to be even more brutal. It has pledged to cut costs by 10 percent by 2027 and reduce them even further by 2030.
Despite the announced cuts, Mercedes won’t shut down its German factories but it will move production of at least one model line from Germany to Hungary, where production is 70 percent less expensive. Mercedes also says it will increase its focus on building models for America and China within those countries to future-proof itself from looming tariff threats.
A sporty GT version of Kia’s EV3 electric SUV has been spotted testing in the Arctic.
Lime-colored brake calipers and GT logos on the headrests are the big giveaways.
The GT’s dual-motor, all-wheel drive powertrain should deliver around 276 hp.
We came away seriously impressed after driving the Kia EV3, but there’s one thing that might have put a few potential buyers off: the limited powertrain options. When we say limited, we mean there aren’t any, because every EV3 comes with one motor, but that’s about to change, as these spy shots of an EV3 GT prove.
Kia openly admits that a sporty GT version of the baby SUV is coming, but it hasn’t revealed any details of the new range-topper. Sources close to the company, however, told Carscoops that the GT will feature a dual-motor drivetrain making around 276 hp (280 PS).
If correct, that means the wildest EV3 won’t be quite as wild as some people were expecting given that EV6 GT now makes 601 hp (448 kW / 609 PS). But it will still make the EV3 GT feel completely different from the current single-motor EV3, which only generates 201 hp (150 kW / 204 PS). We’d expect the GT to do 0-60 in around five seconds, helped by its all-wheel drive traction.
GT design giveaways
Heavy disguise on this prototype prevents us from pinpointing the bodywork changes, which will build on the styling tweaks already seen on the existing GT-Line trim. Compared with the entry-level Air, GT Line adds gloss black arches, angrier-looking bumpers, and full LED lights.
We can see that the lime green brake calipers, a GT feature pinched from the EV6 GT, but the EV3’s lower weight and smaller power output means Kia appears to have cheaped-out and fitted basic sliding calipers to the front axle rather than the four-piston units it uses on the EV6 GT. Don’t pay too much attention to the wheels, by the way. They’re from the Hyundai Ioniq 6 (it even says so on the rim face) and will be swapped by the time the GT makes its debut.
Sport seats, lime accents
Our spy photographer also managed to knock off a few interior shots, revealing the GT legend embossed into the headrests of the new sports seats and more GT-specific lime green highlights. Like other EV3s, the GT should have a 12.3-inch instrument cluster, a 12.3-inch infotainment display, and a separate 5-inch touchscreen for climate controls, positioned between them.
The GT will skip the small 58.3 kWh battery that’s only available on the base EV3 Air and instead come with an 81.4 kWh pack. A front-wheel drive, single-motor GT-Line S fitted with that battery and 19-inch wheels has a WLTP range of 362 miles (583 km), but the heavier dual-motor GT won’t be quite as long-legged.
And like other EV3s it’ll have to make do with 400-volt charging tech rather than the 800-volt architecture offered in Kia’s bigger EVs. A 10-80 percent fill on a charger dishing out at least 150 kW should take the same 31 minutes it does on other big-battery EV3s.
The EV3 GT should debut later this year, but it’s not the only new EV3 Kia has planned. It’s also working on a less-speedy, non-GT dual-motor version with about 227 hp (230 PS) for folks who want all-wheel drive but aren’t bothered about outright performance.
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